What Changed Dennis Kucinich's Mind?

Wednesday, for the first time ever, people actually cared about something Dennis Kucinich said or did. Actually, I take that back: This is the second time. The first time was when he was mayor of Cleveland and the citizens there were like what are you doing? They cared then.

But earlier on Wednesday, Kucinich announced his decision on Obama's health care plan. He had been against it — a firm no — because the plan did not contain a single-payer system. Kucinich is a progressive and he's out in the open. Here's what he had been saying about the plan:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)

REP. DENNIS KUCINICH, D-OHIO: Anytime I can support the president, I'd like to. I just — except on this bill, I signed a commitment with 77 other members of Congress, saying that if there was not robust public option in the health care bill, that was presented to the House, I wouldn't vote for it. I kept my word.

If you don't have a public option, the insurance companies have a license to just steal money from people.

I wish that they brought that public option back — I supported it in committee. And absent of a robust public option, I don't know what there is for my constituents.

(END VIDEO CLIPS)

Got that? He believes there is absolutely no reason to vote for this bill without the public option. It would take an Earth-shattering, chill-you-to-the-bone moment to change his mind. Something like this experience:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TIM RUSSERT, MODERATOR: Did you see a UFO?

KUCINICH: Uh, I did. And the rest of the account — it was an unidentified flying object, OK?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Maybe that's why President Obama decided to do more than call Dennis Kucinich to change his mind on health care. He invited him aboard Air Force One to chat about it. Maybe it was an abduction. Whatever it was Congressman Kucinich left Air Force One a different man than when he boarded.

Here's Dennis Kucinich on Wednesday:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KUCINICH: I've decided to cast a vote in favor of the legislation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Wait, I thought there was nothing in it for his constituents? So why would he change? There are three possible answers:

• He was told if he votes for health care, they'll tell him what's in Area 51

• They opened the cargo door of Air Force One mid-flight and "negotiated"

• The president assured him this was just a starting point; that we'd get to universal health care eventually.

I know, right now some bloggers are saying, Oh, Glenn that's crazy. President Obama's plan doesn't have a public option, you right-wing religious zealot, Jesus-hating fear monger.

OK, then how do you explain this:

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIPS)

THEN-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE BARACK OBAMA: It is my belief that not just politically but also economically, it's better for us to start getting a system in place — a universal health care system signed into law by the end of my first term as president and build off that system to further — to make it more rational — by the way, Canada did not start off immediately with a single-payer system. They had a similar transition step.

Transitioning a system is a very difficult and costly and lengthy enterprise. It's not like you could turn on a switch and you go from one system to another.

(END AUDIO CLIPS)

That sounds an awful lot like the end goal is government-run health care. As the president said, it's what they did in Canada. I'm not a betting man, but I would be willing to wager that the conversation aboard Air Force One sounded very similar to that last sound clip of Obama: Don't worry, Dennis. We will get there.

It's the only explanation that makes any sense and it's right in line with what many powerful progressives (including Obama) are preaching: Just get your foot in the door and we'll build from there. It's their own words.

Here's audio from the George Soros' Tides Foundation:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACOB HACKER: Someone once said to me this is a Trojan horse for single payer. And I said, well it's not a Trojan horse, right? It's just right there! I'm telling you: We're going to get there — over time, slowly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

And from Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JAN SCHAKOWSKY, D-ILL.: And next to me was a guy from the insurance company who then argued against the public health insurance option, saying it wouldn’t let private insurance compete. That a public option will put the private insurance industry out of business and lead to single-payer.

(APPLAUSE)

My single-payer friends, he was right. The man was right.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

And Tom Harkin:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TOM HARKIN, D-IOWA: As I said before, this bill is not complete. I've used the analogy of a starter home in which we can add additions and enhancements as we go into the future. But like every right that we've ever passed the American people, we revisit it later on to enhance and build on those rights and we will do that here surely.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

I mean, how many examples, America, do you need to realize that it doesn't matter what passes, it's just a foot in the door. As if you needed more evidence, Nancy Pelosi was quoted saying: "We won that fight and once we kick through this door, there'll be more legislation to follow."

Dennis, how did you miss all of this? Did you want to pass the bill the right way out in the open or something? Are you the only ethical Marxist around? Did you not read Saul Alinsky: The ends justify the means?

Seventy-three percent of Americans want Congress to scrap the bill and start over. America, I want you to understand what this bill is in no uncertain terms:

• This will be, in the end a Canadian-style single-payer health care system. If anyone thinks that's good, count the number of hospitals on this side of the border that cater to Canadians. Ask Canadian politician Danny Williams who came over here for surgery because they didn't have any specialists

Speaking of that:

• According to the New England Journal of Medicine, if this bill is passed nearly one third of physicians would quit practicing medicine

• This is about power and money. The unions along with government will control your health care along with government, enforced through the IRS

• You are going to pay for this without any benefits until 2014

Do you think that the government is actually going to take your money and put in a safe for two to four years and not touch it? That's the only reason why the bill doesn't cost more, because you don't get any benefits for four years — you're paying in, with nothing in return.

This is why America doesn't want this bill. But that doesn't mean we don't want reform. There are millions who want health care reform. And let me be clear: I am one of them. But a public option — especially when it's crammed down America's throat in the cover of darkness — a Trojan horse that's not really a Trojan horse — is not the right kind of reform.

There are easy ways to actually make the current system — which, let me remind everyone, is the best system in the world bar none — better. Did you know that the top five U.S. hospitals conduct more clinical tests than the entire country of Canada or Sweden or Great Britain for the entire year? There's a reason world leaders and millions of others come here for health care.

Our system is better. But there are easy ways to make it even more superior to the utopian Canada or U.K. system (where 22-year-old hospital patients are dying of thirst).

Start with tort reform. They say they have it in the bill, but that is a Trojan horse as well. It actually punishes states that have already implemented liability reform. So, if you already have caps on liabilities, you are not eligible for funding grants.

Allow insurance across state lines. Instead of doing that, this bill caps premiums and allows any pre-existing condition to be covered. The guy next to me said that'd put the private insurers out of business — well, to quote Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky: He was right!